Where did the inspiration for Waterlife come from?
In the 25 years Ian (our Founder) has spent in the boating industry he has helped hundreds of people achieve their dreams of getting afloat. Some wanted to go sailing with their families, others were looking to entertain on gin palaces, but quite a few just wanted a space on the water in a nice location to contemplate life for weekends, holidays, and even for living on board permanently.
This latter group really got him thinking…conventional craft such as yachts, motorboats and canal barges are not really optimised for extended periods aboard. The beds tend to be funny shapes, the cabins are cramped, you keep banging your head on low doors, and the bathrooms are barely bathrooms! In addition, they still need a lot of maintenance which cost money. Engines need to be kept serviced, rigging needs to be changed, below water the hulls need to be painted with toxic paints to slow down the growth of marine organisms, these things get very expensive and inconvenient.
What if there was a better solution? A product which enables folk to enjoy the marina lifestyle, without the discomfort, technical knowledge and deep wallets that come with “normal” boats. A product which is designed for the job from the water up.
Did you start building houseboats?
No, we thought long and hard and have the contacts to make it happen but quite simply it would be more expensive to build them in the UK and why try when our European neighbours have experience and infrastructure in place!
We came across a manufacturer in Poland who was producing a product which had many of the right attributes we were looking for. We sat down together and came up with a design modified to suit the intended market in the UK. Poland has a long and proud history of boat building, and are the world’s second largest producer of boats. The workforce there are fiercely proud of everything they do, and ensure that quality is at the forefront of their manufacturing process.
When and where did you home your first Houseboat?
The first Waterlodge (our Houseboat brand) was delivered into Brighton in May 2019. It arrived on a sunny Sunday morning in the boatyard and before it had even been craned off the truck, we had two customers almost literally fighting for the privilege of being the first customer to buy one! At that point we realised that maybe we were onto something.
How quickly did the business grow?
Over the last five years, Brighton Marina has grown from having a few Waterlodges to now hosting two entire Waterlodge Villages, with the owners enjoying an active social scene between them, regular official and unofficial Waterlodge parties, and with over 60 boats in place to date. Owners include families, young couples, retired folk, actors, musicians, business people and many more from literally all walks of life. All of them share one thing in common – their deep love of living a life on the water.
Why did you create Waterlife?
Over the years we recognised there are three distinct markets for floating spaces:
Individuals looking for holiday homes or permanent residency on the water - Waterlodge.
Hotels and lettings industry looking for hotel style rooms and studios on the water – Waterstay.
Marinas looking to create experiences on water from cocktail bars, to event spaces and even floating fitness studios – Waterex.
These three groups and all the possibilities that lie within lead to one single truth, they all speak to an alternative way of living, a Waterlife. This group brand is intended to encapsulate the very essence of why living on the water is not just a lifestyle choice, but a whole new way of living sustainably and at one with nature. And without fear of being flooded by climate change events, and giving our customers space to breathe and thrive through an alternative life on water. Our sub-brands are designed to make navigating our extensive suite of products easier.
So what’s next for Waterlife?
Being the longest established and market-leading brand in this sector in the UK, we are very focused on holding that position and finding new opportunities to help solve housing and environmental pressures and create unique experiences for our customers whether that’s in a marina or on a private lake. We also continue to improve our products sustainability credentials and look for more diverse floating options, watch this space or should we say, our spaces!
